1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides an improved glove construction wherein the palm material has a portion which rolls over the fingertips.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Gloves specifically designed for use in the construction industry have been available in the prior art. For example, Ironclad Performance Wear Corp., Los Angeles, California., sells a variety of gloves having a palm piece attached to a back piece through the use of fourchettes. The glove fingers are attached to the palm and back pieces across the tips of the fingers, down the side of each finger and down through the crotch between each finger. The Ironclad gloves typically have a pattern on the palm piece to protect the user hand from strain, vibration or abrasion.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,490,290 to Gold discloses a glove structure wherein the palm piece is attached to the back piece through the use of connector strips made from stretchable elastic fabric, such as spandex.
The problems with the conventional glove design is that sensitivity is reduced as the typical glove has materials (4) coming together at one point; wearer fingernails tend to hang up on seams reducing the utility and mobility when the gloves are worn; seams in the central wear area cause the glove material wearing out; the presence of multiple materials and seams reduces wear comfort; the plural seams and materials increases the likelihood that the glove will snag on outside items such as nails and screws; and the fingernails are susceptible to damage because of the thin and lighter palm material used in conventional gloves.
Ski gloves have been available which include an inner glove portion and an outer shell glove portion which includes a palm design that wraps up and over the fingertips. This ski glove construction is not a single, fitted glove, is primarily limited to skiing and other winter sport activities and is not designed to be long lived.
The glove construction disclosed in co-pending application Ser. No. 10/215,946, filed on Aug. 10, 2002 and assigned to the assignee of the instant application overcomes the above noted disadvantages by providing a fitted glove structure that incorporates a palm piece having a molded rubber palm pattern, the palm pattern including a portion which rolls over to the back piece in a manner that increases fingertip sensitivity, increases the mobility and efficiency of the wearer, increases glove lifetime, increases wearer comfort and increases fingernail protection. The palm piece and back piece on the second, third and fourth finger are joined by fourchettes and the palm pattern is made of heat pressable rubber. A portion of the molded rubber palm pattern extends over the fingertips (except the thumb) and is sewn to the stretch nylon on the top portion of the back piece.
The glove described in the aforementioned '946 application provides a significant advance in the construction of gloves. Although the inventive concept disclosed therein is directed to fingertip roll over of the molded rubber palm pattern, it has now been recognized that the same glove construction advantage could also be adapted to the palm material itself, without the inclusion of the molded rubber palm pattern.